Da Bum's 2014 NBA Playoff Best Bets- News,Stats-Trends !

[StarDust Bum]

Record in the playoffs as of Monday Night :

15 - 11 ..............................*****

11 - 7 ..............................DOUBLE PLAY

7 - 11 - 1...............................TRIPLE PLAY


Tuesday, April 29

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Washington - 8:00 PM ET Washington +4 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Chicago - Over 183 500 TRIPLE PLAY


Memphis - 9:00 PM ET Memphis +7 500 *****

Oklahoma City - Over 186 500 *****


Golden State - 10:30 PM ET Golden State +7 500 DOUBLE PLAY

L.A. Clippers - Over 209 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Dallas at San Antonio
The venue shifts back to the Spurs home court tonight for the pivotal Game 5 in the series and has the Mavericks coming in with a 4-1 ATS record in their last 5 games at San Antonio. Dallas is the pick (+6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Spurs favored by only 3. Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+6 1/2). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30

Game 513-514: Brooklyn at Toronto (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Brooklyn 118.910; Toronto 124.991
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 6; 186
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto by 3; 191
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-3); Under

Game 517-518: Dallas at San Antonio (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 124.735; San Antonio 127.919
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 3; 205
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 6 1/2; 198
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+6 1/2); Over

Game 519-520: Portland at Houston (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland 120.715; Houston 124.401
Dunkel Line & Total: Houston by 3 1/2; 209
Vegas Line & Total: Houston by 5 1/2; 214
Dunkel Pick: Portland (+5 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 30

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BROOKLYN (46 - 40) at TORONTO (50 - 36) - 4/30/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 48-35 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 33-22 ATS (+8.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
BROOKLYN is 103-74 ATS (+21.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) after scoring 85 points or less over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-6 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 9-7 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DALLAS (51 - 35) at SAN ANTONIO (64 - 22) - 4/30/2014, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 148-116 ATS (+20.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 121-94 ATS (+17.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 430-362 ATS (+31.8 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 72-48 ATS (+19.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 147-110 ATS (+26.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 48-38 ATS (+6.2 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
DALLAS is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) in road games this season.
DALLAS is 44-30 ATS (+11.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
DALLAS is 164-123 ATS (+28.7 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
DALLAS is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DALLAS is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 9-7 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 12-4 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (57 - 29) at HOUSTON (55 - 31) - 4/30/2014, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 24-38 ATS (-17.8 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 27-16 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road games this season.
PORTLAND is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 9-5 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 9-6 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
13 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 30

All four Toronto-Brooklyn games were decided by 8 or less points, as teams went 1-1 in each arena. DeRozan scored 30-30-24 points in last three games, but is just 27-76 from floor in series. Toronto was +6 last game in turnovers; they're -19 (64-45) in series. Nets are 22-88 from arc in series. Nets lost six of last nine games, are 19-24 vs spread on road this season. Over is 26-17 in Toronto home games this season.

Dallas lost 11 of last 13 games vs Spurs, but they've covered all four in this series and last five games overall; Nowitzki/Ellis were combined 13-39 from floor in Game 4 loss, when Spurs outscored Dallas 32-13 in second quarter. Spurs' bench outscored Maverick subs 50-30 last game, now Dallas' big man sub Blair is suspended after kicking Splitter in last game. Over is 28-15 in Maverick road games this season.

Three of four Rocket-Blazer games went OT; Aldridge scored 29+ in all three Portland wins, was held to 23 in the loss. Portland won 11 of last 14 games; they're 27-16 vs spread on road this season- over is 26-17, as last 11 series games also went over, helped by OTs in series. Harden is 36-103 from floor this series, not good for Rockets, who covered once in their last five games as a favorite. Over is 24-18-1 in Rocket home tilts.




NBA

Wednesday, April 30

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
DALLAS vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing San Antonio
Dallas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of San Antonio's last 13 games when playing at home against Dallas

8:00 PM
BROOKLYN vs. TORONTO
Brooklyn is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Brooklyn is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 8 games at home

9:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Portland


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NBA

Wednesday, April 30

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Game of the Day: Nets at Raptors
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Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors (-3.5, 191)

Series tied 2-2.

Coming off one of the best wins in franchise history, the Toronto Raptors look to grab control of their Eastern Conference first-round series when they host the Brooklyn Nets in Game 5 on Wednesday. Toronto had not won a road playoff game since 2001 and was banged up, but it rallied to steal Game 4 in Brooklyn on Sunday by an 87-79 score, tying the series at two games apiece. The Raptors lost a 17-point lead but held the Nets scoreless over the final 4:58 to take back home-court advantage.

Perhaps the biggest key for Toronto was its ability to bottle up Brooklyn shooting guard Joe Johnson, who had seven points in 42 minutes after averaging 23.7 points in the first three games of the series. "Their defense was a big difference," Johnson told reporters after Game 4. "I mean, I looked out and there were three guys coming at me at once." DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points to lead the Raptors and is averaging 28 points over the last three contests.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, WWOR (Brooklyn), TSN (Toronto)

LINE HISTORY: Toronto opened as high as a 4-point favorite but has been bet down as low as -3. The total opened 191.

INJURY REPORT: Nets - A. Anderson (Ques - Groin). Raptors - L. Fields (Ques. - Back)

ABOUT THE NETS: Brooklyn has a notable advantage in terms of experience, a factor many thought would eventually decide the series, but Toronto has outscored the Nets 88-66 in the fourth quarter over the last three games. "They're a younger team that doesn't have as much proper experience, but they ain't playing like it," guard Deron Williams said Sunday. Williams missed all five of his 3-point attempts in Game 4 as the Nets went 4-of-20 from outside the arc, falling to 25 percent for the series.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS: DeRozan has played through a hand injury for weeks, Kyle Lowry is limping through the series with knee issues and other Toronto players are banged up, but the club keeps coming. "We're really nicked up right now, so it was huge courage, really courageous by those guys," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said following Game 4. Among the others on the injured front is forward Amir Johnson, who left Game 4 with a knee injury before returning to polish off a 17-point effort.

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings in Toronto.
* Underdog is 3-0-1 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Road team is 3-0-1 ATS in the last four meetings.

CONSENSUS: 51 percent of bets are on Toronto -3.5 while 53 percent is on Over 191.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Wednesday, April 30

Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors, 7:35 ET
Brooklyn: 9-1 OVER after scoring 80 points or less
Toronto: 29-18 ATS coming off an ATS win

Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs, 7:05 ET
Dallas: 22-12 ATS as an underdog
San Antonio: 25-15 OVER after a game where they failed to cover the spread

Portland Trailblazers at Houston Rockets, 9:35 ET
Portland: 11-3 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points
Houston: 18-2 OVER off a road loss

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, April 30


Noah reveals knee injury, refuses to use as excuse

While his six-point, 18-rebound, seven-assist, three-blocked shot stat line was typical of a Joakim Noah night, it was clear from the opening tip Tuesday evening that the All-Star center wasn’t quite himself in the Bulls’ Game 5, season-ending, 75-69 loss to the Wizards at the United Center.

Visibly hobbled while running the floor, Noah gutted out the contest and although it was teammate Taj Gibson that would have to leave the floor — with 7:51 remaining, Gibson suffered a gruesome left-ankle injury and unable to talk under his own power, had to receive assistance going to the locker room — the versatile offensive facilitator and defensive anchor would later acknowledge that he wasn’t at full strength, albeit reluctantly.

“There’s really no excuses right now. It’s been a long year and yeah, I’ve got things I’ve got to take care of,” Noah said. “My knee. My knee is bothering me. My left knee. I’m not sure what it is, but I was able to play today. I think I was limited a little bit. But it’s no excuses. I’ll check it out, find out what’s wrong and take care of it. And now, we’ve got a lot of time to take care of it.”

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau revealed that Noah had been playing with the publicly undiagnosed ailment since the regular season.


Road dog paying out for bettors in Nets-Raptors series

It seems like nobody quite knows how to take the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors series. Keen bettors have noticed a great betting trend going into Game 5 in Toronto Wednesday.

In the first four games in the Nets-Raps series the road team was the underdog and in those games the dog is 3-0-1 against the spread for bettors.

The Nets are currently +3.5 for Wednesday's crucial Game 5.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday, April 30

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Dallas - 7:00 PM ET Dallas +6.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY
San Antonio - Under 198 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Brooklyn - 7:30 PM ET Brooklyn +3 500 *****
Toronto - Over 190 500 *****

Portland - 9:30 PM ET Portland +5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Houston - Under 213.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Playoff Tips

April 30, 2014


**Pacers at Hawks**

-- The top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference finds itself on the brink of elimination Thursday night at Philips Arena. Indiana (58-29 straight up, 40-46-1 against the spread) fell behind 3-2 to Atlanta in its best-of-seven series by losing at home to the Hawks for the third time in 22 days.

-- Atlanta (41-46 SU, 41-45-1 ATS) led by 30 at one point in Monday's 107-97 win as a seven-point underdog. The Hawks hooked up money-line backers with a sweet payout in the +260 range. The Game 5 triumph was sparked by an incredible second-quarter shooting display from Mike Scott, who came off the bench and buried four treys in a 76-second stretch. Scott drained five 3-balls in the second quarter alone and scored all 17 of his points in the stanza. Shelvin Mack had 13 points in the second quarter and went on to score a team-best 20 points to go with five assists, two steals and just one turnover. Paul Millsap added 18 points and eight rebounds, while DeMare Carroll and Jeff Teague chipped in with 15 and 12 points, respectively.

-- In the Game 5 defeat, Paul George produced a game-high 26 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and six steals. However, Roy Hibbert didn't score or pull down a rebound and was whistled for four fouls in only 12 minutes of playing time. You have to wonder if Frank Vogel, whose job is clearly on the line here, will put the Georgetown product back on the court the rest of the series. David West, Lance Stephenson and George Hill finished with 16 points apiece in Game 5.

-- Sportsbook.ag has updated the series price and now has the Hawks as -175 favorites. The Pacers are +155 on the comeback (risk $100 to win $185).

-- As of early Wednesday night, most betting shops had the Pacers listed as one-point favorites with a total of 187.

-- The 'over' is 46-40-1 overall for the Hawks this year, but the 'under' has cashed in five consecutive head-to-head meetings between these rivals in games played at Atlanta.

-- The 'under' is 3-2 in this series, cashing in Games 2, 3, and 4.

-- The 'under' is 47-37-3 overall for the Pacers this season, but the 'over' is 21-20-3 in their road assignments.

-- On the verge of this potential upset, you would think the city of Atlanta would be embracing the Hawks? Well, at least the local media, right? Wrong. As I just went to the sports page at AJC.com at 4:45 p.m. Eastern, there were six top stories posted atop the page. Two were on the Falcons and the NFL Draft, one was on the Braves, there was one apiece for UGA and Georgia Tech football recruiting and another about Nick Saban and other college coaches playing golf?! Really???

-- The Hawks remain 75/1 longshots to win the NBA title at both Sportsbook.ag and 5Dimes. Correction: Atlanta remains at 75/1 at 5Dimes, but Sportsbook.ag has moved it from 75/1 to 50/1 in the last few hours (at some point Wednesday afternoon).

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Eastern on NBA TV, which is channel 216 on DirecTV and 156 on DISH Network.

**Thunder at Grizzlies**

-- For the first time in NBA history, a postseason series has had four straight overtime games. In Tuesday's Game 5 at Oklahoma City, the Thunder and Grizzlies needed an extra session to determine a winner once again. Memphis (53-34 SU, 39-44-4 ATS) became that team thanks to stellar defense, mostly from Tony Allen on Kevin Durant, and the hot 3-point shooting of Mike Miller, who splashed the nets with a pair of attempts from deep early in OT. Miller would finish with a team-high 21 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and zero turnovers, leading his team to a 100-99 triumph as a 6.5-point underdog. The Grizz hooked up money-line supporters with a +250 return. Zach Randolph had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Allen finished with seven points, nine boards, three steals, two assists and defensive plays galore that don't show up in the box score.

-- Like Indiana, Oklahoma City (61-26 SU, 44-40-3 ATS) has surrendered homecourt advantage twice in this series already. On the one hand, you have Russell Westbrook making the type of incredible play he die at crunch time, stripping Mike Conley Jr. for a run-out lay-up to force OT in the waning seconds of regulation. From another point of view, you have Westbrook taking 31 shots, an astounding amount for a point guard, especially compared to the 24 taken by the NBA's leading scorer, and making only 10. And once again here we are in the postseason, with Westbrook taking more shots than Durant, and you have to feel like if Memphis wins Game 6, the OKC organization has to make one of two moves -- get rid of Scott Brooks for a coach that'll correct what seems to be an easy fix in terms of who gets more shots, or jettison Westbrook, a PG who is a high-volume shooter, out of town to put better pieces around the franchise player. That might seem dramatic, especially since Westbrook was injured in the postseason last year, but hasn't this been a point of discussion for nearly five years? These are certainly fair questions, ones that'll only be eradicated by an OKC win in Memphis on Thursday night.

-- As of early Wednesday night, most books had OKC favored by 2.5 with a total of 185. Gamblers can back the Grizzlies on the money line for a +125 return (risk $100 to win $125). For first-half bets, the Thunder is a 1.5-point 'chalk' with a 92.5-point tally.

-- The updated series price at Sportsbook.ag: Memphis -150, OKC +130. As for odds to win the NBA title, the Thunder is sporting a 10/1 number, while the Grizz remain at attractive 25/1 odds. Go figure (considering the variance in the series price and the future numbers).

-- The 'over' is 45-42 overall for OKC this season, 22-21 in its road assignments.

-- The 'under' is 45-42 overall for Memphis, but the 'over' has hit at a lucrative 25-18 clip in its home games.

-- TNT will have the broadcast from FedEx Forum at 8:05 p.m. Eastern.

**Clippers at Warriors**

-- As of early Wednesday night, most spots had Los Angeles (60-27 SU, 48-38-1 ATS) listed as a 1.5-point favorite with a total of 209. The total for first-half wagers was 105.5.

-- Prior to Tuesday's Game 5 at home against Golden State, which was arguably the biggest game in the history of this moribund franchise, Doc Rivers's Clippers team had to deal with an ocean of turmoil for 72 straight hours. First on Saturday as it prepped for Sunday's Game 4 at Golden State with a 2-1 series lead, reports surfaced of an audio tape released by TMZ that had the team's owner making racist remarks and otherwise presenting himself as a complete bigot. Not just a bigot towards any black man in general. No, towards the city of L.A.'s biggest basketball star ever, Magic Johnson. Then with pressure to either boycott or make some sort of statement in the midst of what the team hoped would be a run to the finals, it suffered a blowout loss in Game 4 at Golden State An "off day" was next and it was spent answering questions and facing scrutiny over what (if anything) the team would do if Donald Sterling wasn't harshly punished on Tuesday by the NBA and new Commissioner Adam Silver. Finally, just hours before the crucial Game 5, Silver came down hard on Sterling, banning him for life and suddenly allowing this legit contender to get back to focusing on basketball. The Clips did just that, beating the Warriors by a 113-103 count as seven-point home favorites.

-- The 216 combined points in Game 5 jumped 'over' the 208-point total in large part thanks to Mark Jackson's propensity to employ a hack-a-Jordan strategy ahead of the two-minute mark. The Warriors repeatedly fouled DeAndre Jordan, stopping the clock and forcing him to the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. Bettors on the 'over' had to be thrilled because those on the 'under' were looking real good beforehand.

-- Jordan was the catalyst for L.A. in the winning Game 5 effort at Staples Center. The Texas A&M product tallied 25 points, 18 boards and four blocked shots. Chris Paul added 20 points, seven assists, six boards and five steals, while Jamal Crawford pitched in 19 points. Despite battling foul trouble, Blake Griffin had 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

-- Golden State (53-34 SU, 44-40-3 ATS) played from behind for nearly all of Game 5, but it took a one-point advantage at 70-69 with 1:49 left in the third quarter after Steph Curry pulled up on a fast break to launch a 3-pointer from the top of the key. The shot appeared to be ill-advised on first glance, but at this point should anyone ever question Curry's shot selection? The attempt got all nets and appeared to give the Warriors momentum. Alas, it wouldn't last as Paul, Griffin and Jordan were too much for a team lacking its best interior defender in Andrew Bogut.

-- The updated series price at Sportsbook.ag is the Clippers as the -700 'chalk,' while the Warriors are available for a monster +500 return (risk $100 to win $500).

-- L.A. is an atrocious 1-6 ATS in its last seven games at Golden State

-- The 'over' has cashed at a 4-1 clip in this series so far.

-- The 'over' is 48-38-1 overall for the Clippers, 24-19 in their road assignments.

-- The 'under' is 48-37-2 overall for the Warriors, 23-17-2 in their home games this year.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 10:35 p.m. Eastern on TNT.

[StarDust Bum]

2014 Playoff Results

May 1, 2014


Betting Results

First Round
Wager Favorites-Underdogs Home-Away
Straight Up 20-19 18-21
Against the Spread 10-28-1 14-24-1
Total
Over-Under 26-13


Eastern Conference First Round

(1) Indiana vs. (8) Atlanta
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Atlanta (+8, +350) at Indiana 101-93 Underdog Over (185.5)
2 Atlanta at Indiana (-7.5) 101-85 Favorite Under (187)
3 Indiana at Atlanta (+2.5, +120) 98-85 Underdog Under (187)
4 Indiana (-2.5) at Atlanta 91-88 Favorite Under (188.5)
5 Atlanta (+7, +260) at Indiana 107-97 Underdog Over (186.5)
6 Indiana at Atlanta - - -
7 Atlanta at Indiana - - -


(2) Miami vs. (7) Charlotte (Heat wins 4-0)
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Charlotte at Miami (-10) 99-88 Favorite Over (186)
2 Charlotte at Miami (-10) 101-97 Underdog Over (187.5)
3 Miami (-4.5) at Charlotte 98-85 Favorite Under (187.5)
4 Miami (-8) at Charlotte 109-98 Favorite Over (187.5)


(3) Toronto vs. (6) Brooklyn
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Brooklyn (+3.5, +145) at Toronto 94-87 Underdog Under (192.5)
2 Brooklyn at Toronto (-5) 100-95 Push Over (191)
3 Toronto at Brooklyn (-5) 102-98 Underdog Over (191)
4 Toronto (+4, +160) at Brooklyn 87-79 Underdog Under (193)
5 Brooklyn at Toronto (-3) 115-113 Underdog Over (189)
6 Toronto at Brooklyn - - -
7 Brooklyn at Toronto - - -


(4) Chicago vs. (5) Washington (Wizards win 4-1)
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Washington (+4.5, +170) at Chicago 102-93 Underdog Over (178.5)
2 Washington (+5, +200) at Chicago 101-99 (OT) Underdog Over (180.5)
3 Chicago (+2.5, +130) at Washington 100-97 Underdog Over (180.5)
4 Chicago at Washington (-2) 98-89 Favorite Over (183.5)
5 Washington (+3.5, +150) at Chicago 75-69 Underdog Over (183.5)



Western Conference First Round

(1) San Antonio vs. (8) Dallas
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Dallas at San Antonio (-9) 90-85 Underdog Under (203.5)
2 Dallas (+7.5, +300) at San Antonio 113-92 Underdog Over (201.5)
3 San Antonio at Dallas (+3.5, +150) 109-108 Underdog Over (200)
4 San Antonio (-4.5) at Dallas 93-89 Underdog Under (201)
5 Dallas at San Antonio (-6.5) 109-103 Underdog Over (197)
6 San Antonio at Dallas - - -
7 Dallas at San Antonio - - -


(2) Oklahoma City vs. (7) Memphis
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Memphis at Oklahoma City (-8) 100-86 Favorite Under (190.5)
2 Memphis (+7, +290) at Oklahoma City 111-105 (OT) Underdog Over (190.5)
3 Oklahoma City at Memphis (+2.5, +125) 98-95 (OT) Underdog Over (190)
4 Oklahoma City (-3.5) at Memphis 92-89 (OT) Underdog Under (188)
5 Memphis (+7.5, +290) at Oklahoma City 100-99 (OT) Underdog Over (186)
6 Oklahoma City at Memphis - - -
7 Memphis at Oklahoma City - - -


(3) L.A. Clippers vs. (6) Golden State
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Golden State (+7.5, +310) at Los Angeles 109-105 Underdog Over (211)
2 Golden State at Los Angeles (-8) 138-98 Favorite Over (212.5)
3 Los Angeles (-3) at Golden State 98-96 Underdog Under (212)
4 Los Angeles at Golden State (+1.5, +105) 118-97 Underdog Over (209.5)
5 Golden State at Los Angeles (-7) 113-103 Favorite Over (208.5)
6 Los Angeles at Golden State - - -
7 Golden State at Los Angeles - - -


(4) Houston vs. (5) Portland
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Portland (+5.5, +190) at Houston 122-120 (OT) Underdog Over (215.5)
2 Portland (+6.5, +270) at Houston 112-105 Underdog Over (215)
3 Houston (+2.5, +110) at Portland 121-116 (OT) Underdog Over (214.5)
4 Houston at Portland (-3.5) 123-120 (OT) Underdog Over (215)
5 Portland at Houston (-4.5) 108-98 Favorite Under (214.5)
6 Houston at Portland - - -
7 Portland at Houston - - -

[StarDust Bum]

Adjusted Series Prices

May 1, 2014


Below are the adjusted and opening series prices from Sportsbook.ag

Adjusted Series Price (Opening Series Price)

Brooklyn vs. Toronto (Raptors lead 3-2)
Nets +250 (+125)
Raptors -300 (-145)

Oklahoma City vs. Memphis (Grizzlies lead 3-2)
Thunder -140 (-310)
Grizzlies +120 (+255)

Indiana vs. Atlanta (Hawks lead 3-2)
Pacers +150 (-500)
Hawks -170 (+390)

Los Angeles vs. Golden State (Clippers lead 3-2)
Clippers -700 (-350)
Warriors +500 (+290)

San Antonio vs. Dallas (Spurs lead 3-2)
Spurs -1200 (-600)
Mavericks +700 (+450)

Miami vs. Charlotte (Heat won series 4-0)
Heat (-2000)
Bobcats (+1100)

Chicago vs. Washington (Wizards won series 4-1)
Bulls (-180)
Wizards (+155)

Houston vs. Portland (Blazers lead 3-2)
Rockets +250 (-195)
Blazers -300 (+165)

How to read the Odds:
Ex. Bet $100 on the Pacers (+150) to win $150
Ex. Bet $100 on the Hawks (-170) to win $58.80

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Oklahoma City at Memphis
The Thunder look to bounce back from their 100-99 loss in Game 5 and stay alive in the series tonight as they face a Memphis team that is 4-10-2 ATS in its last 16 games following a SU victory. Oklahoma City is the pick (-2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Thunder favored by 5. Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-2 1/2). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 1

Game 521-522: Indiana at Atlanta (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 117.406; Atlanta 124.320
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 7; 192
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 1; 186 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+1); Over

Game 525-526: Oklahoma City at Memphis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma City 125.900; Memphis 120.759
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 5; 180
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 2 1/2; 185
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-2 1/2); Under

Game 527-528: LA Clippers at Golden State (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 124.797; Golden State 125.414
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 1; 205
Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 1 1/2; 210
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (+1 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 1

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INDIANA (58 - 29) at ATLANTA (41 - 46) - 5/1/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
INDIANA is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
INDIANA is 20-29 ATS (-11.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
INDIANA is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
ATLANTA is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
ATLANTA is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 11-10 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 11-11 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
12 of 22 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (61 - 26) at MEMPHIS (53 - 34) - 5/1/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 97-80 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 106-74 ATS (+24.6 Units) off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 58-37 ATS (+17.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 58-42 ATS (+11.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 95-81 ATS (+5.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 119-80 ATS (+31.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 35-19 ATS (+14.1 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 14-6 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 11-10 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
12 of 21 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA CLIPPERS (60 - 27) at GOLDEN STATE (53 - 34) - 5/1/2014, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 158-217 ATS (-80.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 113-150 ATS (-52.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 96-82 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-20 ATS (+12.0 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 56-40 ATS (+12.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 54-40 ATS (+10.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-22 ATS (+10.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 48-38 ATS (+6.2 Units) in all games this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 32-23 ATS (+6.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 10-7 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 9-8 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
12 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 1

Pacers are now 8-12 in last 20 games, 8-27-1 against spread in last 36, as they head south to stay alive in series. Indiana is 4-5 vs Atlanta this season, 2-2 here. Hawks won nine of last thirteen games. George made 10-18 from the floor in Game 4- he is Pacers' barometer. Hawks' bench was 14-25 in Game 5, after being 15-50 from floor in games 3-4- they were +50 for game. Pacers' bench was 9-21 last game, a combined -31. Three of last four series games stayed under.

Last four Griz-Thunder games went OT, after OC won opener by 14; despite OTs, team that led at half lost four of five series games. Both Thunder wins stayed under total; three Memphis wins went over. OC is 34-117 from arc in last four games, shooting under 40% from floor in all four games- six of their last nine games went over. Griz led Thunder by 12 last game, was +8 in OT (9-17). Three of last four series games went over the total.

Clippers outscored Golden State 31-13 on foul line in Game 5 win, and it would've been worse had Jordan not missed eight (9-17) FTs. He had 25 points, 18 boards after going scoreless in Game 4. Clippers won 10 of last 15 games, with 12 of those 15 going over total. Warriors won seven of last 12 games overall; under is 48-37 in their games this year, 23-18 at home. Curry was held to 17 points Tuesday after having 33 in Game 4. Warrior bench was 8-22 last game, after making 12-18 in Sunday's win.




NBA

Thursday, May 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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7:00 PM
INDIANA vs. ATLANTA
Indiana is 4-16 ATS in its last 20 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Indiana's last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Atlanta's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. MEMPHIS
Oklahoma City is 1-3-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Memphis
Oklahoma City is 2-8-1 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games at home
Memphis is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games at home

10:30 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. GOLDEN STATE
LA Clippers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Golden State's last 8 games


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NBA

Thursday, May 1

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Game of the Day: Thunder at Grizzlies
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Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies (+2.5, 184)

Memphis leads series 3-2.

The Memphis Grizzlies will try to sew up a historic first-round series when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. The Grizzlies hold a 3-2 lead in the tense matchup after prevailing on Tuesday in a record fourth consecutive overtime game. Oklahoma City stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have struggled with poor shooting and the Thunder are facing elimination by the Grizzlies for the second straight postseason.

Memphis blew a 20-point third-quarter lead in Game 5 but escaped with a 100-99 victory as a putback by Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka came just after the buzzer. “Nothing comes easy for us,” Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph told reporters afterward. “We get it out of the mud, we grind and we’re underdogs. It’s what we do.” The Thunder split two games in Memphis earlier in the series and will be trying to force a Game 7 in Oklahoma City. “We have won there before,” Westbrook told reporters. “We know what we need to do to win the game. We just need to come out and play our game.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, FSN Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), SportSouth (Memphis)

LINE HISTORY: Oklahoma City opened as a 2.5-point road favorite and was bet up to -3 before money came back on the Grizzlies. The total opened 186 and dropped to 184.

INJURY REPORT: Memphis - N. Calathes (Out - Suspension)

ABOUT THE THUNDER: Durant might be about to wrestle regular-season MVP honors away from LeBron James but he has experienced a shaky series while being hounded by smaller Memphis defender Tony Allen. Durant is shooting just 40 percent from the field – and 28.6 percent from 3-point range – and also missed a tying free-throw attempt with 27.5 seconds left in Tuesday’s one-point loss. He also hasn’t been as assertive in searching for shots as the misses add up. “Sometimes you’ve got to be a decoy out there and I’m fine with that,” Durant told reporters. “Once the ball comes my way I have to be ready and be aggressive when I touch it.”

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES: Point guard Mike Conley scored 17 points in Game 5, including the tiebreaking basket in overtime, but he was close to being labeled the goat of the contest as Memphis blew the big lead. With the Grizzlies leading late in regulation, Westbrook stole the ball from Conley and raced for a tying dunk with four seconds remaining. “We’re a team that is able to bounce back from adversity,” Conley told reporters afterward. “We’ve had a lot of tough plays – especially mine at the end of regulation. For us to still come back and compete and stay focused in overtime, it just says a lot about the resiliency of this team and the focus level.”

TRENDS:

* Thunder are 1-4-1 ATS in the last six meetings in Memphis.
* Underdog is 3-0-1 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Over is 4-1 in Grizzlies' last five home games.
* Under is 7-3 in Thunder's last 10 games following a loss.

CONSENSUS: 57 percent of bets are on Oklahoma City while 63 percent are on Over 185.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, May 1

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Indiana - 7:00 PM ET Atlanta -1 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Atlanta - Over 188 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Oklahoma City - 8:00 PM ET Oklahoma City -2.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Memphis - Over 185 500 TRIPLE PLAY

L.A. Clippers - 10:30 PM ET Golden State +1.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Golden State - Over 210.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Record in the playoffs as of THURSDAY Night :

19 - 11 ..............................*****

13 - 12 ..............................DOUBLE PLAY

12 - 13 - 1...............................TRIPLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Western Conference Tips

May 2, 2014


**Spurs at Mavericks**

-- As of early this morning, most books had San Antonio (65-22 straight up, 45-42 against the spread) favored by three for tonight's Game 6 at Dallas. Gamblers can back the Mavericks on the money line for a +135 return (risk $100 to win $135), while the total is 198.5. The Spurs are favored by 1.5 for first-half bets, with the total at 99.

-- Gregg Popovich's club has won back-to-back games after falling behind 2-1 in this best-of-seven series. The Spurs captured a 109-103 victory in Wednesday's Game 5 at AT&T Center, but Dallas hooked up its supporters with a backdoor cover as a 6.5-point road underdog. Tony Parker led five players in double figures with 23 points and five assists without a turnover. Manu Ginobili produced another stellar stat line, finishing with 19 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. The veteran guard committed only one turnover in 30 minutes of playing time. Tim Duncan added 16 points, 12 boards and three blocked shots.

-- Dallas (51-36 SU, 49-38 ATS) got spectacular performances out of Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki in the Game 5 defeat. In only 27 minutes of action, the 37-year-old Carter had 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field. The University of North Carolina product drained 7-of-9 attempts from 3-point range. Nowitzki scored 26 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Monta Ellis had 21 points and six assists.

-- In Game 3 at Dallas, Carter hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lift his team to a 109-108 win as a 4.5-point home underdog. In Game 4 at the same venue, San Antonio won a 93-89 decision but failed to take the cash as a 4.5-point road 'chalk.'

-- Ginobili is enjoying a remarkable series, averaging 19.6 points, 4.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.

-- After being ejected from Game 4 and suspended for Game 5, Dallas will get power forward DeJuan Blair back tonight. Blair averaged 6.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during the regular season. Before getting tossed in Monday's home loss, Blair had 12 points and 11 rebounds. The University of Pittsburgh product had eight points and seven boards in the Game 2 win at San Antonio.

-- The 'over' has hit in three of the last four games.

-- The 'over' is 47-39-1 overall for the Spurs, 24-19 in their road assignments.

-- The 'over' is 48-39 overall for the Mavs, 25-18 in their home games.

-- NBA TV will have the telecast at 8:05 p.m. Eastern.

**Rockets at Trail Blazers**

-- Houston (56-31 SU, 43-42-2 ATS) sliced the series deficit to 3-2 with a 108-98 win as a 4.5-point home favorite. The 206 combined points fell 'under' the 214.5-point total. Dwight Howard led the way with 22 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parson chipped in 21 and 20 points apiece, while James Harden had 17 points, seven assists and three steals.

-- As of early this morning, most spots had Portland (57-30 SU, 46-41 ATS) installed as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 213. The Rockets were +155 on the money line (risk $100 to win $155). For first-half wagers, the Trail Blazers were favored by two with a 107-point tally.

-- In the Game 5 loss, Wesley Matthews scored a game-high 27 points by knocking down 5-of-9 shots from 3-point range. Damian Lillard finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals. LaMarcus Aldridge was held to a series-low eight points, as he made only 3-of-12 shots from the field. Aldridge had scored 46, 43, 23 and 29 points in the first four games of the series.

-- Lillard has been terrific throughout the series, averaging 25.6 points and 7.4 assists per game.

-- Harden is scoring at a 25.4 PPG clip in the first five games, but he's shooting only 34.7 percent from the field and just 25.0 percent from beyond the arc.

-- If Portland wins tonight, it will snap a string of six straight exits from the first round of the postseason.

-- Until the 'under' appeared in Game 5, the 'over' had hit in nine consecutive head-to-head meetings between these teams.

-- Houston owns a 7-1-1 spread record in its last nine games at Portland.

-- The 'over' is 50-36-1 overall for the Trail Blazers, 24-18-1 in their home games.

-- The 'over' is 48-37-2 for the Rockets, 24-18-1 in their road contests.

-- Tip-off on ESPN is scheduled for 10:35 p.m. Eastern.

[StarDust Bum]

Game 6 - Raptors at Nets

May 1, 2014


Toronto (51-36) at Brooklyn (46-41)

Eastern Conference First Round
Game 6 - Toronto leads series 3-2
Tip-off: Friday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Brooklyn -5, Total: 191

The Raptors have won two straight games to give them a 3-2 series lead over the Nets, but now the series shifts back to the U.S. for an elimination game on Friday night.

Toronto was on the ropes when it visited Brooklyn for Game 4, but it pulled out a gutsy 87-79 victory and followed it up with a 115-113 home win in Game 5 in Toronto on Wednesday in a contest where both teams shot lights-out, combining for 50.7% FG and 46.9% threes. The Raptors now lead the series 3-2 and are 12-5 SU (6-9-2 ATS) in their past 17 games. They are also a strong 27-15-1 ATS (23-20 SU) on the road this season, and 4-3-1 ATS (3-5 SU) at Barclays Center over the past three seasons.

The Nets have been great at home, posting a 24-19 ATS mark (29-14 SU) this season, but they have been in a three-week funk, going 3-7 SU (2-7-1 ATS) over their past 10 games.

Both teams have positive betting trends though, as the Raptors are 21-9 ATS after two straight games giving up 10 or less offensive rebounds this season. They are also 6-2 ATS this season after two straight games where their opponent was called for 25+ fouls.

Brooklyn, however, is 8-1 ATS this season after trailing in its previous game by 15+ points at the half. They are also 5-1 ATS this season after allowing 60+ points in the first half of their previous game.

While Toronto star PG Kyle Lowry (knee) is probable, it's still not clear if SF Landry Fields (back) will return for the Raptors after missing Game 4.

Toronto pulled out a close one in Game 5 behind a brilliant performance from PG Kyle Lowry (21.8 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.4 RPG this series). Lowry was unstoppable for the Raptors, finishing with 36 points (11-of-19 FG, 6-of-9 threes) and six assists in 38 minutes of play. With his jumper falling, Lowry is a completely different player, and his speed and toughness makes him very tough to contain for Deron Williams and the other Nets guards.

SG DeMar DeRozan (24.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.0 APG this series) had 23 points (5-of-12 FG, 12-of-13 FT), six rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes for Toronto. DeRozan was getting to the line at will, and hit a number of clutch free throws down the stretch. His disaster of a Game 1 (14 points on 3-of-13 FG) is behind him as he has now scored 23 or more points in four straight games, but has shot below 43% from the floor in all four of those contests.

PG Greivis Vasquez (12.0 PPG, 6.6 APG, 4.2 RPG this series) continues to give the Raptors some huge minutes off the bench. He had 15 points (6-of-12 FG, 3-of-5 threes) and six rebounds in Game 5, and Toronto will likely continue to play him next to Kyle Lowry in two-point-guard lineups for the remainder of the series.

C Jonas Valanciunas (12.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 1.2 BPG this series) will need to continue to be a presence in the paint on both sides as the Raptors attempt to close out the series.

The Nets had a 2-1 series lead and were playing Game 4 at home, but despite their 53.3% FG clip (47.8% threes) that night, they were unable to pick up the win and now find themselves on the brink of elimination.

SG Joe Johnson (21.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG this series) had 30 points (13-of-23 FG, 3-of-6 threes), five rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes for the Nets in the loss. He was the one Brooklyn player who was able to get it going offensively, and his team will need him to continue to hit shots from the outside if it is going to extend this to a Game 7.

Another player who has been performing well offensively is PF Mirza Teletovic (10.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG this series). Teletovic has increased his averages to 14.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG over the past two games, and his ability to score in a hurry provides a huge spark for the Nets. He could be in line for a big bump in minutes with the way he is shooting the ball.

PG Deron Williams (16.8 PPG, 6.2 APG this series) has been way too inconsistent for the Nets in this series. He had 13 points and nine assists in Wednesday's loss, but is averaging 23.0 PPG in the Brooklyn victories. He will need to look to be more aggressive as a scorer, as his team has been more successful with him attacking the basket as opposed to playing it safe.

SF Paul Pierce (14.4 PPG this series) had just 10 points in Game 5 after scoring 22 points in Game 4. The Nets will need their veteran forward to hit his open looks and make plays when there is seemingly nothing there.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Saturday will be the first time ever the NBA will have three Game 7's on the same day.

-- As if this story couldn't get stranger, New York Post is reporting that Donald Sterling has prostate cancer.

-- Southern Miss hired former Nebraska coach Doc Sadler as its new basketball coach; good hire for the Golden Eagles.

-- Former Colts' GM Bill Polian thinks the Browns want Johnny Manziel.

-- Duke-Wisconsin will be the best ACC-Big 14 challenge game in December.

-- Rough day in Boston, with Bruins losing in OT and Red Sox getting swept in a doubleheader by Tampa Bay.

*****

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here......

13) Most surprising to me about baseball’s instant replay isa lack of clarity of when the first baseman actually has the ball on close plays on ground balls. Never dawned on me that this would become an issue, but I think everyone is getting the hang of it and there have been less screw-ups the last week or so, at least in the games I’ve watched, and I watch a lot of them.

12) That said, I’m not a fan of the manager walking out to the ump to stall for time as his henchmen decide whether to challenge the call. Seems like an NFL-like flag system would be better, but that’s just me. I am not missing manager/umpire arguments- never thought they added anything to the game, other than a chance for losing managers to vent their frustrations at a stationary target.

11) Jon Gruden was very, very enthusiastic about Fresno State’s Derek Carr as a QB prospect, much moreso than Johnny Manziel. Have to read between the lines a little; listen to what he said to Carr, then what he didn’t say to Manziel.

10) Tremendous college hoop tournament in Brooklyn Thanksgiving week this fall; VCU, Michigan, Villanova, Oregon. Two excellent twinbills there.

9) I’m little concerned for Jameis Winston; he dodged a bullet last fall with the sexual assault incident not becoming a major problem, now he gets busted shoplifting crab legs. By itself, no big deal, but at this time last year, no one knew who he was; now he has two brushes with the law. That’s a red flag; maybe its nothing, but he needs to keep his nose clean, or this could wind up being a sad story. We’ve had enough of those lately.

8) Last bigtime basketball recruit of this year’s class was Myles Turner; he signs with Texas, pushing Rick Barnes’ team back into the preseason top 25.

7) No easy way to get from Calgary to Glens Falls, NY, but that’s where the Flames are supposedly moving their AHL farm club to. Glens Falls has a 6,500-seat arena that is excellent for minor league hockey; it is Jimmer Fredette’s hometown and 45 miles north of Armadillo World HQ. Devils have a farm team in Albany, so that’s a natural rivalry right there.

6) Had no idea there is a statue of Mary Tyler Moore in downtown Minneapolis, throwing her hat in the air like she did at the start of every Mary Tyler Moore Show back in the 70’s. Pretty cool.

5) CJ Wilson is invaluable to an Angel team that lacks pitching depth; in his first six starts, Wilson threw 114-120-116-111-111-117 pitches. He gets deep in games, taking the strain off a shaky bullpen.

4) Over the last 145 years that people have kept track of this stuff, Wednesday was the 10th-rainiest day in history of NYC’s Central Park. That’s a lot of rain.

3) Brad Underwood is staying at Stephen F Austin; he turned down a couple of C-USA jobs, at Southern Miss/Marshall. Will be interested to see how long he stays at SFA, whether they’re moving up to a better league or if he is just waiting for a higher-profile team than one in C-USA to hire him.

2) Atlanta Braves have been shut out the last three times Alex Wood pitched. I’ll say this about the NL East; no easy outs there right now, except maybe when Miami is on the road. Marlins are playing really well at home.

1) MGM Grand is building a 20,000-seat sports arena in Las Vegas; do they think they can get an NBA or NHL team? I don’t know if they can or can’t, but it would be very interesting if they did. Utah Jazz played some home games in Vegas in the 80’s, before the Malone/Stockton days.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

San Antonio at Dallas
The Spurs look to close out the series and come into tonight's contest with a 7-3 ATS record in their last 10 games in Dallas. San Antonio is the pick (-3) according to Dunkel, which has the Spurs favored by 5. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-3). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

FRIDAY, MAY 2

Game 531-532: Toronto at Brooklyn (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 120.982; Brooklyn 122.920
Dunkel Line & Total: Brooklyn by 2; 195
Vegas Line & Total: Brooklyn by 5; 191
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+5); Over

Game 533-534: San Antonio at Dallas (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 128.417; Dallas 123.237
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 5; 193
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio 3; 198 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-3); Under

Game 535-536: Houston at Portland (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 121.141; Portland 125.975
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 5; 218
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 3 1/2; 213
Dunkel Pick: Portland (-3 1/2); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, May 2

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TORONTO (51 - 36) at BROOKLYN (46 - 41) - 5/2/2014, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-7 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 9-8 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (65 - 22) at DALLAS (51 - 36) - 5/2/2014, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 9-8 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 13-4 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
10 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HOUSTON (56 - 31) at PORTLAND (57 - 30) - 5/2/2014, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 10-5 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 10-6 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
13 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, May 2

All five Toronto-Brooklyn games were decided by 8 or less points, with three of last four going over total. DeRozan scored 30-30-24-23 points in last four games, but is just 32-88 from floor in series. Toronto was +9 in turnovers last two games; they're -16 (75-59) in series. Brooklyn lost seven of last ten games; they rallied back from 26 down in Game 5, fell point short. Underdogs are 4-0-1 vs spread so far in this series.

Dallas lost 12 of last 14 games vs Spurs, but they've covered all five in this series and last six games overall, covering last two games by half a point each. Underdogs covered last eight Dallas games. Three of last four series games went over total; over is 25-18 in Maverick home games this season, 24-19 in SA road games. Spurs covered once in their last seven games as a favorite. Four of five series games were decided by 6 or less.

Three of five Rocket-Blazer games went OT; Aldridge scored 29+ in all three Portland wins, was held to 23-9 in losses. Portland won 11 of last 15 games. Underdogs covered four of five series tilts; 11 of last 12 series games also went over, helped by OTs. Harden is 41-118 from floor this series, not good for Rockets. Portland is 19-24 vs spread at home, 2-5 in last seven games as the favorite. Over is 24-18 in Rocket road games.




NBA

Friday, May 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. BROOKLYN
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing Brooklyn
Brooklyn is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Brooklyn is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. DALLAS
San Antonio is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
San Antonio is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games

10:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. PORTLAND
Houston is 6-1-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Portland
Houston is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Portland's last 8 games
Portland is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games


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NBA

Friday, May 2

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Game of the Day: Rockets at Trail Blazers
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Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers (-3.5, 213.5)

Portland leads series 3-2.

The Houston Rockets staved off elimination and attempt to even the Western Conference first-round series at 3-3 when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. The Rockets thrived with their season on the line in Game 5 and avoided the late-game breakdowns that hurt them earlier in the series while posting a 108-98 victory on Wednesday. Now the Trail Blazers feel the urgency to wrap up the series at home to keep from having to travel back to Houston for a Game 7.

The Rockets held Portland star LaMarcus Aldridge to eight points while being highly intent on keeping their season going. “I don’t want to go on vacation,” Houston center Dwight Howard told reporters after Game 5. “I want to win. I want to give everything I’ve got. Every night, put my heart into it and sacrifice my body and do whatever I can to help this team win.” The Trail Blazers are trying to halt a streak of six straight first-round exits that dates back to 2000. “We’ve been good at home all year and now we’ll go back home and take care of business,” Aldridge told reporters.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSN Houston, KGW (Portland)

LINE HISTORY: The line opened at Portland -3.5 with a total of 213, but the total quickly moved half a point to 213.5.

INJURY REPORT: N/A

WHY BET THE ROCKETS: Starting point guard Patrick Beverley was limited in Game 5 due to an illness and Jeremy Lin stepped up to have his best performance of the series. Lin had 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting as he rebounded from a poor Game 4 performance that included a costly turnover late in regulation. “I just tried to be aggressive,” Lin told reporters. “I felt like I needed to be more of a spark for the team. I hadn’t done a great job of that in this series so I just tried to come out as aggressive as I can be.” Howard has been Houston’s best player of the series, posting five straight double-doubles while averaging 26 points, 14.2 rebounds and three blocks.

WHY BET THE TRAIL BLAZERS: Aldridge averaged 35.3 points over the first four games – including outings of 46 and 43 points to begin the series – before being a complete nonfactor in Game 5. Houston’s lineup switch to Omer Asik from Terrence Jones has allowed Howard to guard Aldridge more often and the results were even better than what Houston expected. Aldridge, who was 3-of-12 shooting, bristled over the notion that Howard silenced him. “The ball didn’t come to me as much,” Aldridge told reporters. “Our guys were making shots and we were playing off them and that’s how the game went. It wasn’t about how Dwight guarded me or anything like that.”

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-0 in the last six meetings in Portland.
* Rockets are 7-1-1 ATS in the last nine meetings in Portland.
* Over is 13-3 in the last 16 meetings.
* Rockets are 11-5-1 ATS in the last 17 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 54 percent of bets are on Portland -3.5 while 67 percent are on Over 213.5